PAC: Parents Against Caillou

At the top of things that I can’t stand with 2 little kids in the house are things that make my life as a parent more difficult than it needs to be, especially if it’s for no damned reason at all. One of those things that I was able to do something about is the inexplicably bald and secretly evil little Canadian fellow, Caillou. [H8Terz, he’s healthy according to the Caillou website]

I gave this punk the benefit of the doubt at first. After all, he was entertaining my children while peacefully loaded the dishwasher without resistance. It comes on respectable channels between respectable shows, how bad could it be? I mean, at least it’s not Sponge Bob Square Pants, right? No, after watching this show and noticing a change in my kids, they can watch Sponge Bob any day if it keeps Caillou out of our home.

It’s not the baldness, that’s just icing on the cake – or I guess a cake with no icing. My husband kept fixating on the baldness, but it’s really just a distraction from his awful personality and his ultra-helicopter parents who reward his constant whining.

If you’re not familiar with the show, Caillou is a completely helpless pre-schooler who, in each episode, is confronted with “problems”. Problems that he creates for himself for no reason at all. They are loosely based on problems faced by his pre-school age-group: not having any hair, sibling rivalry issues, sharing, general disappointment, etc. Most parents would expect a show on respectable stations to show a child successfully navigating through his problems a la Daniel Tiger or Doc McStuffins, but not so much with Caillou. He finds himself utterly helpless in a mess of self-created disasters. Rather than finding a solution, he whines and whines until one of his helicopter parents comes to the rescue. I mean, have these parents completely given up on a life outside of fixing problems for their idiot child? Rather than using the moment to teach self-reliance or problem solving, they swoop into the rescue at every little issue. Moral of the story? Be a jerk to your baby sister, make a mess, be an utter moron, and then whine loudly so someone can swoop in and clean up after you. Expect an instant rescue regardless of how minor, avoidable and non-problematic your problem. Is Caillou Canada’s attempt to ruin a generation of American children? Do they aim to make is the brunt of all future cultural sissy jokes?

My older daughter likes to binge watch her shows on apps for Sprout, PBS, & Disney Jr for her quiet time. That only became a problem the day she spent her entire quiet time watching Caillou. Suddenly, my bright and independent preschooler was whining in an irritating little voice and expecting me to suddenly intervene with every step of every move she made.

I thought, “Where do I know that voice from?” Then it dawned on me. CAILLOU! That irritating little brat has found his way into my home!

Then it came out of my mouth… “Stop using your Caillou voice and use your big girl voice!”

That’s the day we banned Caillou FOREVER. Our lives are all better for it.

I didn’t make a huge deal of it with the girls, but I am always sure to change the channel at the very hint of this awful show coming on soon. I know I’m not the first parent to have an issue with this show and I have no idea how it is still on respectable networks’ line-up. This is one of the few occasions where I could turn to my husband and say “YOU’RE RIGHT” because he absolutely was, without the shred of a doubt. A healthy 4 year old SHOULD HAVE HAIR and should be able to get through a few minutes of his day without whining for constant help.

I am plotting against this fictional 4 year old because unlike real children, he won’t grow into a worthless adult. I’m not raising future worthless adults, so now “stop acting like Caillou” is our go-to catch phrase for ending many annoying toddler/pre-schooler behaviors. I don’t feel badly plotting against an imaginary 4 year old. His creators must be plotting against parents like me who <GASP> let their children learn a healthy dose of self-reliance and independence.

My kids can watch their other favorites like Daniel Tiger or Doc McStuffins any day. Those are some fictional characters I can get behind. Doc is a sparkly, bright little toy doctor and Daniel Tiger has a solution and a song for just about every struggle his viewers and their families face. Seriously, we sing the Daniel Tiger Good Night song for each child every night and “Use Your Words” when our 2 & 3 year old are fussing. We own toy stethoscopes & otoscopes that our daughters can ask for my name and know how to use. What did Caillou give us? Needless tantrums and fits. No thank you, little bald sir.

Take the Beibers with you on your way out. That’s another parenting challenge I could do without in a few years. Deal with it, Caillou. Too bad your parents didn’t teach you how to avoid and deal with problems yourself.

Compulsive crafter, connoisseur of shiny things, author, real estate Broker, designer, and mom. My mind is always spinning with ideas on how to create beautiful, functional spaces and things. Jane of all trades, master of many. After designing my first home at 20 and becoming a general contractor at 23, I've since created complete custom home spaces as well as couture gowns, crystal-adorned shoes, and more. I don't take no for an answer because there is always a way.

If you were using it as a proper name you would also capitalize police (i.e. Grammar Police). Nouns themselves are not capitalized. If you’re going to be a Grammar Nazi policing blog posts, you should learn to use proper grammar yourself. English 101 is a good start. 😉

“Grammar police” is an open compound word, not an adjective. Grammar is a noun. Police is a noun. Police is more important than “grammar,” so the term is not hyphenated, as in the case of “philosopher-king.” Furthermore, it’s not hyphenated because the entire phrase is not being used adjectively before a noun it modifies. Anyway, the adjective form of “grammar” is “grammatical.”

By your logic, “fire” would be an adjective in “fire department.” What kind of department? Fire.

I too, was thinking grammar was an adjective in this case! And that if grammar were to be capitalized, then Police should be too. I was having trouble getting past some of the typos in the article myself.

Darrell YetmanMarch 17, 2015 - 5:00 pm

In German, all nouns are capitalized. In English, only proper nouns are.

It was an African Swallow…what the average air speed velocity of a European Swallow

DamienMarch 19, 2015 - 11:08 pm

eye bileeve itt waz A afrecan Swalow

Miss EMarch 16, 2015 - 7:36 am

Captain Underpants is not at all for emerging readers…it’s geared for 3rd grade and up, which is mid level. As an elementary teacher and reading specialist, I’m just going to say as long as kids are reading something, it’s not a huge problem if the grammar is subpar. Third graders usually recognize that there are grammatical errors in the text. Captain Underpants is a gateway book. I don’t recommend it to most kiddos but it hooks my students who “hate reading.” The real problem is students who don’t hear proper grammar being used verbally! A major proofreading strategy is to read your work aloud to see if it “sounds right.” Kids who aren’t accustomed to proper grammatical functions miss major errors!

I completely agree with this. I noticed it sporadically in the Captain Underpants series but there is also a series by the same author, Oog and Gluk, which has intentionally wrong spelling and grammar in nearly every frame of the book. (comic book format). It is absolutely interfering with children’s ability to read, spell, and use correct grammar.

The reason I know this is because I discovered HOW BAD the books were from one of my students… I am a teacher and had a 4th grade English Language Learner (5 years in the program, so socially proficient language wise) that was suddenly struggling with phonemic patterns in reading and multiple spelling errors on sight words.

He came to me to conference with his independent reading book one day (Oog and Gluk, he was nearly done and before had been reading Cap’t Underpants) and that’s where I discovered how atrocious it was. I took the book, had a long gentle talk with him, and contacted our media center to consider pulling the books out of rotation.

I understand that the way the books are written are part of the author’s style, but the grade level that they’re being targeted towards can’t afford those inconsistencies in spelling and grammar!

The simple explanation for the Captain Underpants books and others by the same author are that they’re suppose to be ironic with the bad spelling, the whole thing is that they aren’t comics by the author himself, but rather comics done by the characters from the main characters from the Captain Underpants series, George and Harold, one illustrates crudely drawn people, the other writes the story behind them, the whole thing is that both think that they are the best at what they do for it, but in reality, both could use major schooling in their fields of choice.

They intentionally use improper GRAMMAR and spelling in the books hoping that the children will notice and fix it.
My cousin loves those books, they actually helped him improve his spelling and grammar.

#OHmyGoodness. Please start this group and every parent in my inner circle would join. LOL. When I hear the theme song, I go out of my way to change the channel. We need to start a media campaign. Annoyed Parents Unite!

Has anyone seen Max and Ruby?
He is much worse, Max misbehaves all day long after his Older sister has told him to stop. He keeps misbehaving until she gives up and let’s him get what he wants. This happens in every episode.

Oh man, Max and Ruby… but I think Max is just acting out to get attention from Ruby, who is a bit of a jerk to him! She’s supposed to just be a kid, but she appears to be his only parental type figure and speaks to him with a condescending voice as if he’s a baby. I don’t blame him for being a brat.

You’re absolutely right! We turn this junk off! We also do what we need to do to get high-energy children to take a break and have quiet time so they don’t become so overtired that they are a danger to themselves and unable to engage with mom. Moms also need a break to refresh and reset to be an engaged parent as well. No Pinterest parenting here, I won’t pretend that my kids don’t watch TV! But we pick a different show.
#momswithnothingelsetodobutcomplainaboutmomskeepingitreal

Its a [I have a tiny vocabulary] show… Get the [I have a tiny vocabulary] over it, its all made up, its all fake. Get over it, dont put it on.. Problem solved! Theres worse things in this world then a fake childrens show, if thats your guys’ biggest worry then I hope something else comes along and knocks you on your asses… ITS A TV SHOW!!!

You obviously don’t have children if you think that people shouldn’t worry about the material they’re letting enter their childrens minds. And, you probably didn’t (maybe couldn’t ) read the entire article. Monitoring the shows that your young children are watching is a huge part of parenting, as well as good parenting. The amount of people whining and complaining about this articles “complaintive” nature is hysterical and, in no small way, ironic.

I banned cailou in my house 8 years ago for this very reason. Hysterical. Glad I’m not the only mom out there who saw this in a show. My 14 year old and I were just joking how I banned her from watching this show when she was little. I reminded her she’s better off for it

I’ve hated this brat for over 14 yrs now. I’ve always said that he needed a spanking. Hating a television program does not mean that someone does not spend time with their kids. We’ve all needed a distraction in order to get things done. Get off of your high horse rocker! I’m in total agreement, even though my boys are teenagers…..BAN CALLIOU! Little prick!

My brother in law and I joke about Caillou all the time. We have gone so far as to name Caillou’s parents. We thought the father deserved a very neuter gender name, so we call him “Leslie.” Then we decided the mom needed something sickeningly sweet as her name, so we called her “Debbie” after the snack cakes. My kids are way past the Caillou stage now an thank goodness!

I am with you! I’ve been saying this for years. It’s ridiculous how much he whines and the disrespect…smh. My stepdaughter loves it and she use to be so independent. At first I thought the change was solely from me having a new addition but Callou is mostlikely the culprit.

Who cares if he is bald. The reason this show isn’t welcome in my home is because it portrays a child with the universe revolving around him. As pointed out, he whines and parents teachers and other children swarm to coddle him. Other children noticeably play second fiddle to him in all scenes, including those with adults present. Oh, helicopter parenting isn’t the worst of it!

I think perhaps you need a vacation. You’re blaming a kids show for nothing. I haven’t had kids very long. My son is 5 months old but one thing I know for sure is the create problems themselves and parents are the ones to clean it up. That’s reality. Don’t go off on a kids show just because it’s a constant reminder of our responsibilities. The show is positive, moral, fun and entertaining. What more could you ask for?

I used to think the same thing, but after banning caillou from our TVs a few times, we now use it to teach our kids how NOT to behave. My kids LOVE IT, but if it’s on repeatedly, you will eventually hear/see what everyone else sees. Caillou is a whiney spoiled brat, and maybe that’s OK with some parents. However, those aren’t the types of adults the majorityof us want to raise…

Oh boy! Your in for a rude awakening when your child is older and watches this show! I have 4 kids and can guarantee if you let him get into this show when he is around 2 or 3 you will probably be writing your own blog about it! The fact she is complaining about this show is not a surprise, my oldest is 15 and I have seen and heard complaints about this whiny little brat since she was born!

Since Caillou is a Canadian import, some of the backstory of his baldness did not transfer. Caillou is a cancer survivor. He had chemotherapy and lost his hair. We’re all glad he made it through and is cancer free. That said, he is still the most annoying cartoon character on TV, and his show is banned at our house.

Picture of bald Caillou sitting next to his cat, to illustrate the Caillou true story and urban legend.So is there any truth to this theory of Caillou having cancer? The people involved with the show and the book are very insistent that no, Caillou doesn’t have cancer. In fact reading through their writings about it they seem downright defensive about the topic, often making it the first thing they mention about the show.
Source: http://anitasnotebook.com/2014/06/does-caillou-have-cancer-true-story-and-urban-legend-behind-caillou.html

While I agree that Caillou is annoying and only reinforces childish behavior, for the author to pick at the fact that he has no hair is childish in itself. If you have a problem with this show, feel free to complain, but to complain about his lack of hair just makes you sound like a little kid yourself.

Aloha and mahalo for this article. My daughters are now early teens, but we have never fully recovered from Caillou… that might be a slight exaggeration. However, we too banned Caillou from our house. After watching Caillou our older daughter would literally start to copy his mannerisms, his slouch included. She would imitate his voice and the whining would begin. There really is no redemption for this show. I’m surprised it is still around.

I was just going to mention the same about his illness. Not that I knew the back story, but my girls and I figured he must to be a cancer patient due to the nature of the conduct (his and his parents). And my girls were very young when they recognized this bad behavior, many years ago as well.
Having clarified that though, doesn’t excuse that kind of behavior, but sometimes parents feel a sense of guilt that their child is ill and have no idea how to handle it, and sometimes it takes a while to find their way through all the obstacles in their path.
I would not allow my kids (or eventual grandchildren) to watch this in my home.

I think you need to turn the channel and move on. First off your overwhelming annoyance with him being bald leads me to believe you are far too judgmental and shallow. Second, kids at preschool age can become whiny brats on their own, no need to blame a show. Its simple, find something suitable on that you think is acceptable for your own children, and let other people choose for themselves.

You people do realize that this is a fn TV show I watched plenty of cartoons growing up in the 80s that were full of violence didn’t teach anything and I turned out just fine you know why? Because I had parents that did their job..get a life loser and don’t worry about what your kids watch

You tell parents to do their job and then tell them not to worry about what their kids watch…the fact that you don’t seem to think that those are contradictory statements makes me hope you don’t have kids.

The fact that you have to insult someone over an article you didn’t have to read to completion just to let someone know they angered you…is prof that you didn’t turn out all right. In fact, I’d argue that you’re words are more on the violent spectrum than “I’m emotionally adjusted and fair minded enough to see satire”

Please don’t blame the whole country of Canada for “attempting to ruin a generation of American children” with Caillou and we’ll try not to blame the whole US for Toddlers and Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo…K?…by the way Daniel Tiger is also half produced in CANADA!

Mike,
I was reading your post and pretty much agreed with what you were saying until I read your last sentence.
Every parent, whether they work or not, need to be FULLY AWARE of what their children are watching on TV. This is called Responsible Parenting. Times have changed since the 80’s, and those changes also happen to include cartoons as well.

OMG!!! I really thought I was the only parent in the world that hated this cartoon!!! A friend of mine used to put it on at her house for my son, and I would instantly whine like him begging her to change it, so my son would not act like caillou, or her son for that matter! If this group becomes a reality, and caillou is banned from t.v., I would be eternally grateful!!!

According to the Caillou website, it’s not to do with cancer at all. It’s because “Caillou’s character is based on a much younger character featured in illustrated children’s books published before the television series was created”.

thank you for this awesome article! No one hates Caillou more than me. My 3 year old is starting this relentless whining and I seriously wondered if it was the age- or if caillou had something to do with it. Ugh! You are the bomb!!

Thank you so much for this post. I use to love to sit my twin boys down to watch Caillou, as it kept them quiet, but now they use that whiny annoying voice, I hate it so much! I have banned this little annoying fictional character fm my house – how can one cartoon be so annoying – I used to hate spongebob but will pick him over Caillou any day!

I agree 1,000 times over with everything you said. I didn’t even know that my daughter knew what Caillou was, but I had heard awful things from friends. We have Hulu and my daughter saw his picture on the screen and kept begging to watch. Apparently she had seen it once at daycare. My husband thought my concern was a little blown out of proportion and since I hadn’t seen it myself I gave in to one episode. All my friends were right. It was appalling! I adore Daniel Tiger and enjoy Doc. This kid has to go! As a teacher, I want a class full of Daniels and Docs. The Caillous are the ones who ruin a great classroom environment for everyone!

I actually like Caillou, because it’s one of the only shows out there that looks at situations from the kid’s point of view, and tries to articulate how a four-year-old actually feels. Granted that point of view tends to be narrow, selfish, and naive…but that’s how every human being starts out. They have to learn mature traits over time, and Caillou thinks and acts like a typical kid.

The show also does a good job of showing a child’s growth from the inside-out, and explores internal conflict, rather than most shows which teach children how they should behave from external motivators. We hear Caillou’s fears or doubts from the start of the conflict, and from his point of view. Sometimes he lies to his parents or plays down how upset he is because he can’t articulate what he’s feeling, which a lot of kids will do if you watch closely enough…as opposed to other shows where the kids are always honest because they can perfectly articulate their feelings to the adults around them.

I would argue that each episode ends with his parents helping him navigate the confusing and often scary ocean of emotion…rather than just “solving his problems.” They don’t. In most (not all, because sometimes he does figure it out on his own) episodes, they teach him how to communicate and solve the problem himself. You neglected to mention that he always learns a lesson by the end, and he does so by going through actual pain and personal growth, not because he solved some puzzle and got a prize (i.e. Dora the Explorer, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Blues Clues, Justin Time, Super Readers, etc. etc. etc.)

It’s not a stretch to say that Caillou reminds me of Charlie Brown. Not because they’re both bald (although Chuck’s popularity as a character and lifetime legacy negates your husband’s argument against baldness), but because they both have unapologetic realness. Charlie Brown was fantastic because he often failed in life, and kept moving forward. He would lose every game, never kick the ball, lose the spelling bee…and the beauty of Charlie Brown was that he found the power in himself to keep going, keep playing, keep competing even when it never seemed like it would get better. Contrast that with today’s movies and TV shows for kids, where the protagonist always wins, because they find the power in themselves to beat all the odds even (or especially) when the odds are completely stacked against them. There are no lessons about how to fail. No lessons about how to lose and get back up again. No lessons about how to fail during your big moment, and have the courage to keep on going anyway.

By the same token, Caillou teaches kids it’s ok to feel frustrated, angry, scared, or sad, even when the adults don’t. It teaches them that they’re not weird or broken for emotionally failing now and then, while shows with characters who are constantly being perfect angels demonstrate a perfect way to be, but fail to show how people are.

Your annoyance with Caillou as a character seems to be based on the unfair expectation that he act like an adult in a kid’s body, just like Daniel Tiger and most other child characters who are written by adults. They’re supposed to model good behavior by being perfect…but that’s not how life works. Give my kid a character whom they can watch and say: “Aha! I’ve felt that way before too!” I’d rather my son’s shows teach him not how to be, but rather how to change.

Thank you. It’s easy to demonize a character for behaving badly, but I think we forget that those characters can be much more realistic. The characters who always behave well all the time have been really popular in kids shows lately (again: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Dora, Mickey’s Clubhouse, Cat in the Hat, etc.). They’re always polite, always generous, never angry or vindictive…in essence, they’re not very human. It’s a wonderful archetype to aspire to, but if you start out with negative reactions to adversity (as every child does), who is going to teach you how to change and become a better person?

I always prefer the characters with arcs that show a lot of growth, over those who are perfect from the beginning and just have to face obstacles to continuing to be perfect.

And another note on Caillou’s parents while I’m thinking about it: they parent in a really compassionate way. They never tell Caillou simply not to do something, or that he’s doing it wrong, which is common along with the mantra of “here’s the perfect way to be, and if you’re not behaving that way, you’re punished.” They empathize and explore, trying to understand his point of view. Then, they reason with him. Honestly, it’s one of the much better parent/child relationships I’ve seen portrayed on TV.

Thank you, Thea. Well said. It is clear you are a professional in child development, since you hold the same opinions about Caillou I do. I discovered the show when my first grandson was about two. We enjoyed watching it together for a couple of years. Since I’m not a professional in child development I couldn’t verbalize what I found worthwhile about the show the way you did. I just know good when I see it.

If by “a professional in child development” you mean a mother, then yes. I am. 🙂

I wouldn’t claim to have any formal training in child development, but I have done a lot of research on storytelling and character development for entertainment, so I can see some of the infrastructure the writers are trying to build within each episode. I think Caillou can provide value to some children…not all, but some.

If you are a mother of teenagers and twenty-something’s, you are an “expert” in child development with or without formal training. Those parents who care enough to read books on parenting, read books similar to this seemingly annoying Caillou and discuss why one should act one way or another, discuss with friends raising their own kids, grandparents who most definitely are experts, and these days access the great resources across the Internet may not technically be experts but able to offer insight into the wonderful world of raising children.

The author of this article intended this to be tongue-in-cheek. Humor is a good way of communicating topics where “right” and “wrong” tend to be a bit gray. As Thea mentioned Charlie Brown is a realistic archetype for a child to aspire to. Not many enjoy a whiny child so, yeah, it might be nice for Caillou and parents address this issue but obviously the subject matter is proven to be important just by the number of responses to the article.

I’m an empty-nester and my children are successfully contributing to society. One is a judge (he’s 35 which seems impossible), another is a digital animator and artist and my youngest was born with Cerebral Palsy and at nearly 30 years old she has accomplished far more than doctors could have predicted. She advocates for disability rights and is still attempting to complete her degree.

Without the support of our local school system including the intermediate school district, doctors, physical therapists, wonderful teachers and all those who make up a nurturing community they might not be quite as successful. Parents can only do so much. The child at some point must take up the baton and carry on to the finish line of their dreams and aspirations.

Thank you! I agree. Always a lesson learned in the end. I’m reading all these comments and was wondering if anyone else sees what I see in this show. Glad I’m not the only one. Makes wonder of some of these people elhave even watched a full episode beginning to end.

I was drawn to this link because my wife and I joke about how annoying Calliou is, and thought it would be funny in the same way that “All of my issues with the Goodnight Moon bedroom” was.

But calliou still gets lots of play in our home. Our 3-year old has not tired of it after 2+ years. I’m pretty sure we’ve literally seen every episode. He might have a whiny voice, and the parents might be a little too chipper, but every episode has a good message, which I strongly disagree is him just whining until he gets what he wants.

Calliou’s behavior does not “teach kids to be whiny,” but rather it presents better options that contrast whiny behavior. Spend a day at any preschool. Kids whine and complain all day. They don’t need a show or any TV at all to teach them how to whine. It’s a natural part of being that age and I think it’s good to be able to identify with a character that feels the same way sometimes. Calliou ends nearly every episode with discovering an important lesson of being 4, and he is often looking out for others ahead of himself.

I also honestly feel that calliou has influenced my child’s manners (please/thank you/excuse me) in a very positive way. Bottom line, once you see past the frustrations Calliou expresses when things don’t go his way, you soon discover that he’s really a “good kid” with a big heart.

And while I don’t necessarily understand why calliou’s character is drawn bald, I certainly have no problem with it. My little one asked me once why he didn’t have any hair and my answer was simply that all kids and grown ups look different from each other, speak differently, and enjoy different things, and that’s just part of what makes us each special and unique. End of story. His baldness has never come up again.

Perfectly said Ben. You said that perfect. My children both whined before ever watching this show. I also wanted to add to your perfect statement that I don’t feel the parents “helicopter parent” at all. They are compassionate parents that empathize with there children. They use redirection effectively, help Calliou solve problem and spend quality time with me. They do have boundaries and take time fir themselves and express there needs to Calliou in an appropriate manner. My kids both like this show

I hate the show for these exact reasons and any parent that comments along the lines of oh you need to engage with your kids and spend time with them. Obviously they don’t structure their kids, my children have a routine and they know that routine. They know when quiet time is they know when TV time is. My children (8,5 and 3) are always getting complimented on use of manners and how independent they are. I’m no parent of the year but when I see people using stupid hashtags and such to knock other parents I start to think I should at least be nominated if not the clear cut winner. #parentsagainststupidparentsthatcomplainaboutotherparentsshouldbeknownascalliou

This show is from a child’s point of view, not and adult’s point of view. Every child whines and complains at a young age, and for Some, it continues into adulthood. Everyone complains about something, no matter their age. At the end of every show, he learns a lesson of how to deal with his emotions and life as a child. Children see the world differently than we do as adults. They learn the difficulties that come with life. No child behaves perfectly. I do allow my children to watch this show and it has never influenced whinny behavior. It teaches them how to cope with their struggles as a child on emotions and daily activities. All sibblings fight or argue. That’s normal. The only thing that bothers me about this article and most of these comments is that people are teaching their children it’s ok to belittle someone based on their looks. That is wrong period. Cartoons are meant for children any how, not adults.

Too funny. Thankfully, my daughter never got into this show. I think I mainly never put it on because I couldn’t pronounce the darn kid’s name. Freaked me out. You’re right though- there are better choices out there with better messages. Good luck on keeping that guy off your tv screen! Lol!

My boys are 3 and a half and from the moment I came across Calliou I said “who is this whiny brat and why is he on TV???” One of my boys is a bit whitney as it is, we need no extra motivation from that fit-throwing chap. Ha! Loved this.

That show is HORRIBLE! It’s been banned from my house too. That being said, we also own the books and read them quite often. He really isn’t so bad when you remove his annoying little screech from the equation.

Loved this article but some of the comments make me mad! Why must people judge your parenting because you let your kids watch tv or why do they think you’re “bored” or “have nothing better to do” because you wrote on YOUR blog about something that annoys you? It’s HER freaking blog people! She has it so she can get on her soapbox and say whatever she wants! For the record, I let my 6 year watch tv and I think I’m a pretty damn good mom!

lol there’s always one or more in every crowd. My kids watched tv and guess what… they’re fine.. (gasp). We all watch tv for pete’s sake….lol. I agree with everything you just said… some people just need to be holier than thou with all the perfect ways to raise kids… pfffft guess what… there is no perfect way…lol. We all find things that work or don’t work.. it’s all about moderation.. some need to lighten up and stop being so judgemental.

Hey. I’m Canadian and let me say, not only was i NOT offended, i wanted you to know my mommy friends and i hate him just as much as you do! lol i loved this article. We refer to him as the whiney bald headed freak. so from my country to yours. ….SORRY! 😀

I agree with you on some points, but I think it’s sad that you (and others) are fixating on his “unexplained” baldness (difference). Please don’t do this in front of your children, which will teach them that it’s okay to fear or hate differences they don’t understand. I hope they learn that people (or characters) who are different don’t owe them any explanation.

I thought this was cute and funny… but also not so funny because it’s on target. I don’t know of this show but I know of shows…lol. I have one that watched a few Ernest movies… all the kids love them.. they all laugh and giggle.. well one of mine walks around talking like Ernest and walking like him and just acting like him. Not a good thing. So no more Ernest for him. I agree with your assessment…lol

Has anyone mentioned the fact that Cailou also always seems to wear shorts and a tshirt while his hovering parents and everyone else seems dressed for the winter with turtlenecks or sweaters. That has always bothered me.

Awesome article. I’m glad some one put into words what we’ve all been thinking for years!!! I have 7 and a 3 year old boys. I’m always trying to steer clear of letting the little one get “hooked” on the whiner. Learned my lesson with the first kid, who thankfully grew out of it. Charlie and Lola, Peppa Pig and the Octonaunts are his favs. He must dig the Brits. Lol.

DON’T TAKE HER WORDS AND TWIST THEM! LET’S JUST AGREE TO AGREE THAT WE ALL HATE THAT DAMN CAILLOU! HE IS A BAD INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN, AND I CATCH MY 4 YEAR OLD DISPLAYING THINGS HE’S SEEN CAILLOU DO AS WELL! THE SHOW SHOULD NOT ONLY BE REMOVED FROM HOMES, BUT FROM TELEVISION PERIOD!! PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN!

THANK YOU!! This article was spot on. I haven’t been able to stand Caillou since it came out and I never understood why. However, you took the words right out of my mouth. You’re awesome and i thoroughly enjoyed this.

just before my son turned four we banned this show for two weeks because he was acting like Caillou. Now every once in a while he will say “can I watch whiney boy?” And we talk about how it’s ok to watch for a bit but as soon as you start acting like him we turn it off for another two weeks. We also often say “I can’t understand you Caillou” when he starts whining. Lol

Y’all have a problem with Cailou, who displays the most realism when it comes to kids tantrums, but where’s your page against Max and Ruby?? At least Cailou has loving parents with an excuse (cancer survivor. Yea I’m sure NONE of y’all would baby your child had they survived cancer at that young age -_-). Max and Ruby don’t even have parents. No, eight year old Ruby IS their parents! Their grandmother checks in on them , and all while Max is doing things hes CONSTANTLY told not to do, in a nice way at first, yet does anyways, screwing things up, throwing tantrums himself if he doesn’t get his way, or just doing it anyways. Now that I think about it, that’s probably where my daughter got her behavior problem from!
I’ve watched both shows, and while Cailou may not be the greatest, he still learns lessons at the end about kindness and other things, while Max essentially proves at the end that no matter how much he doesn’t listen, things will always work out BETTER if he just does what he wants.

Haha this post made me laugh repeatedly, because you are not the first person I’ve heard complain about Caillou’s whines. I’m certain you won’t be the last! We quit watching him in our house for the same reason. Not only is it impossible for me to tolerate Caillou’s voice and his actions, but the grandma-like narrator’s voice drives me bonkers, too.

The clip you used only showed his mother teaching him something new…. Not solving his problem for him. This article is ridiculous and the author has unrealistic expectations from a children’s show. As thea said, this shows better for kids than most. But yes I will agree, it is annoying.

“A healthy 4 year old SHOULD HAVE HAIR” … except those kids who have alopecia areata/totalis/universalis. it’s a genetic condition in otherwise very healthy people that causes hair loss. areata is the loss of just the scalp hair; totalis is the loss of all hair on the head (eyebrows, eyelashes, scalp); and universalis in all hair on the body. the are perfectly normal and healthy.

Thank you for bringing Alopecia up. I was very offended by the reference of him being bald and every normal kid should have hair, because my son has alopecia and lost his hair at age 3. He doesn’t have hair but is perfectly healthy!

I have to laugh at everyone freaking out over her grammar. It’s the internet, folks, and while I appreciate proper grammar, I also appreciate that she is a busy mother who may not have time to proofread.

As for the folks hating on her because she voiced her opinion of the show or who called her shallow or a loser….get a life. If you have time to call someone else a loser over the Internet, what does that say about you? If you feel the need to point out someone else’s observations (because that’s how I interpreted it) and call that shallow, maybe you’re the one who needs a life. And if you think that she shouldn’t have written the post, turned the channel, and moved on instead of commenting on it, then maybe YOU should have done the same thing. Practice what you preach.

WHAT IS WITH ALL THE HATE.

Oh, and as for the Canada thing, she was clearly joking. Thank you to all the people who understood that.

All my kids watched the show. my 5yr still watches it sometimes but what I have been wondering and has baffled me all these years since my oldest, who is now almost 14, first started watching it is, how does this family survive financially since neither parent seems to work? Seriously think about it both parents are always there every episode I don’t recall a single episode where either parent’s employment is ever referenced! LOL The being bald thing always came in as a close second in my list of wth’s about the show.
Since we know that he isn’t a cancer patient maybe his hair fell out from malnutrition because his unemployed parents aren’t feeding him? Nah that can’t be it because the only place the mom ever goes to is the grocery store! Hmmm maybe he has alopecia??? Regardless you are right he is a whiny brat! LOL

the show has an agenda too. Caliou yells at his parents about composting and conserving water. Dinners always feature a massive salad and the kids always call veggies “yummy” with lots of excitement. Caliou is never punished for being mean to his sister or yelling at his parents “but I dont want to!!!!!”.

It’s also shocking that Caliou has any friends. He constantly tattles on them, especially when he was the safety monitor

This show is awful. The constant whining is ridiculous. I know when my 3 and 4 year old boys have watched it recently cause they immediately turn into him. They whine and demand things. Not share their toys. They act like terrible brats. I know if i hear that song come i change the channel. My oldest has loved calliou forever. There’s been several times it’s been banned, when their behavior takes a turn. They really need to build a better model for the character(s) and for the love of god give that kid some hair! I’ve always been on this down with calliou band Wagon. You got my support. These people in the comments who are pro calliou are obviously either not watching the show or don’t understand how much it effects your children. But then again now a days kids are given everything they desire and are spoiled brats. Have no independence what do ever. This is why all the children now have a god complex and think everything should just be handed to them on a platter. And i always thought his mom was probably a pill popper and dad is a major alcoholic. If calliou was my kid I’d shoot myself.

I totally agree Caillou is the worst ! But why is there such an emphasis on it being a Canadian show??? Pretty sure Spongebob is american and he calls people idiots , just saying the show , is stupid, but its not because its Canadian… All I have to say …

The first thing I saw this blog was send a link to my husband saying “I’m not the only one!!!” I can’t stand that little tyrant and his whiny little voice. Way to make the parents in this show look weak. I would lose my mind if my child acted like this. Love the post!! Shame on you, Canada! Lol.

I’m Canadian and embarrassed by that annoying kid. In fact, we were on a road trip with our kids and they were watching videos in the backseat and that show came on and all I could hear for 10 minutes was his little sister CRYING!!! Why am I listening to a cartoon baby CRY while I drive?!?! That was it. At the next gas station I turfed Caillou out of our lives permanently.

Bahahahaha!!!! That was absolutely hysterical! My husband and I also HATE Caillou and we’re raising 3 little people up here in Canada. I just gotta say, I LOVE how much you focus on his being bald. This post seriously made me laugh SO hard!!

Somewhere between when my first child (9) was little, and when my second child (5) was little, I actually noticed a huge change in Caillou. In the earlier episodes, he was definitely an undeniably whiny little crybaby brat, like a real child; in the later episodes, he was MUCH more helpful and productive, not whiny at all, not to mention the animation was different. He solved problems and helped his peers and the audience solve problems. Enough parents must’ve complained enough aboot the old Caillou because that was a noticeable change.

Wow, is this EVER getting a lot of attention! I am Canadian and let me tell ya, we hate that whiny brat too. Oh and to clarify…he’s from Quebec and we have no control over that crazy ass province. Maybe it’s a french Canadian thing…bratty kid, helicopter parents. Just sayin’. lol

Haha wow people are taking this way too serious! Can I be Vice President of PAC?? It’s a ridiculous show and I HATE it. It’s annoying to look at and annoying to hear it! Thanks for this post! Made my day!

As a Canadian, I sincerely apologize for Calliou (and the biebs for that matter) Calliou is BEYOND annoying, Sadly, my (now 5 yr old) could probably pass as a HUMAN Calliou. Tantrums like no other. (He is a red head though!)

Well I suppose people had to complain about something, it’s just a cartoon show that was aired well before our own children’s time, get over it, instead of complaining about a tv show that you or your kids watch, how about you change the channel or how about you turn the tv off, my daughter likes cailliou, but it’s not always put on as she watches many other shows that teach her about science as well as other things, in a sense cailliou does teach kids something which would require a little bit of help from the parents, which would be that parents will be there for their children no matter what happens in their life, but also these problems that he creates for himself and some things that others create for him as well also kind of show that these things can be avoided as well

I read this article and just had to weigh in on the subject of Caillou. Thank God my children were never really into Caillou, but the few episodes I did see of it back in the day, I couldn’t believe what I was watching! I completely agree with you about his behaviour, and even my kids asked why he was bald. The thing that annoyed me the most about Caillou, however, was his voice. Even his voice is whiny!! It made me grit my teeth! Like you, I banned him from our house. My kids didn’t know it – I just switched the channel and found alternative viewing for them instead. I also did the same thing with Wonder Pets and Max and Ruby for various reasons.

We’re Canadians and several years ago my husband and I were at a cocktail party, and my husband started ranting about how much he hates Caillou and how he’s such a whiny little sh**t. And then all the parents turned on us, saying that Caillou had cancer and his mother wrote the books to make him feel better about having no hair…. was very awkward. Still can’t stand that little sh**t…

I always assumed Caillou had some form of cancer. I mean cancer treatment makes you lose your hair and if it is brain cancer and the tumor is in a bad spot it can affect your reasoning skills and even development in children.

According to the official Caillou website, it is because he is based on a baby character and not cancer. I get others’ point that he’s someone that kids who are bald for medical reasons can relate to, but think it’s really sad that he’s all they have. They deserve better!

Great blog ! The *Only* thing I have issue with, is your mention of his lack of hair…. I’ve seen plenty of 4 year olds who are completely bald because they see other ppl like that, and they decide its more fun to be bald than to let mommy or daddy wash and comb their hair. I just don’t think the lack of hair is a valid point as a “con” against the show. Everything else you say, however, is.

I don’t let my daughter watch the show, he’s not as whiny as he used to be BUT he’s still whiny. There’s alot of shows like that,especially on a channel here in Canada called TreeHouse, which is why my daughter is forbidden to watch it, so she only watches Disney Jr and Teletoon retro.

I am assuming no one is watching the same show as I am, yes he can be a bit annyoning but what child isn’t and really i love how the parents deture the situations that happen and redirect it to a positive situation. Of course i must be the only parent who is willing to sit down and watch the show with my children and learn from the parents and how to redirect, like when Caillou wanted to play with someone but everyone was busy and he had to find out how to play by himself and at the end they found him quiet in his room playing. Don’t hate on something your not willing to take time to understand and watch.

Oh My Goodness… My husband was the first to pinpoint our toddler’s new found constant whining and ATTEMPTS at tantrums (we don’t do tantrums in this house) directly to Caillou. We are not alone, imagine that!

I barely let my kids watch TV. Just ask my teenagers who can attest to that! But watching Caillou, Sponge Bob and other shows that don’t enrich your child’s learning ability or behavior positively should be banned from all homes.

Thank you for summarizing all of my thoughts and feeling regarding Cailou (especially the baldness). This show sets such a bad example for children and I’m unclear how Sprout has continued to air it for at least 13 years (that’s when my niece started watching this God awful show). This show needs to be boycotted. There are so many intelligent choices out there, with children who are independent and brilliant and can troubleshoot their own issues. They teach things I want my son to learn!! This is the type of child that I’d like my son to grow into.

I thought this was a funny article to read 🙂 completely agree that he is a whiny little tot, but I did enjoy that he is bald. My nephew has Alopecia and Cailou is a character he could relate to and it helped him not feel so self conscious about his baldness.

This is the BEST post i have ever read about this show. I am so glad my niece is so far out of the shows reach now that i don’t want to shoot the television from the other room. I am expecting my first child in July and NEVER EVER EVER will this show be on my television, and should someone show this unequivocal piece of garbage that passes as children’s television to my child I will flip the proverbial table.

I’m not sure if the character’s baldness has anything to do with cancer. However, having a character of this age sporting a bald head to help normalize baldness caused by diseases, such as cancer, would be far more effective, IF THEY WERE NOT SUPER WHINY BRATS.

I can’t stand this show, or the behavior it creates in my kids. My mother in law watches the kids after school and was recording it for them to watch every day, Against my wishes, argh! I repeatedly asked her to put on something else and she whined, not unlike him, “but they like it and I don’t wanna record something different” oh brother…

Art, you should be thankful you have a loving mother in law (Nanny) who is more than willing to take time out of her valuable retirement to look after your children. Please don’t forget to thank her rather than berate her for not following your ‘wishes.’

I’m Canadian, and took no offense to your article. I also find this show very frustrating. At the “target demographic,” they are imitators. While Chelsea may have seen or gleaned something different than a good many of us, the fact is that most children do not have the discernment to gather those nuances. My son also started to pick up whining for what he wanted. It was something that then had to be untaught. So glad he gets to spend time with the outside world instead!

I had the some of the original Caillou books as a kid and the teeny little plush baby Caillou and I was okay with his stories as a kid, 20 something years ago.

Then the TV show came out around the time that I became a regular baby sitter for my youngest cousin and was like “hopefully they will run into funding issues, like most Canadian TV shows”. Nope not that one, even a few years later, when another little cousin came along, it was still around, and 8 years later the second one still watches it, and Max and Ruby, and Mike the Knight and a bunch of other shows that I thought would run their course by the time one of them was old enough to baby sit.

O and Thomas the Tank engine sucks without Ringo Star or George Carlin.

You are freaking hilarious and so are all the comments from parents who don’t have a sense of humour. Yes, humour, not humor. I am Canadian, and on behalf of my country, we are SO sorry!
P.S. I am still snorting at your article, thank you for putting my years of irritation towards this show into words.

Will I honestly hope the take crybaby off the tv or cancel this show like it’s not teaching Kids nothing only how to put up an attitude Cry and try to get there own way and in the frist place Caillou You should have been taking off the tv the second He came out…..

I too am against Caillou. I allowed my daughter to watch 3 episodes and i couldn’t believe the whining that came out of his mouth. I was amazed that it was even on tv. It REALLY needs to be taken off the air. How did it make it this long. Seriously

I am SO happy to hear someone else voice what my husband and I have said for years!!! Caillou is seriously irritating and that show doesn’t teach kids anything but a good dose of how to whine and be a big baby! Thank you for voicing out loud what we’ve pulled our hair out about for years!!

This post is hysterical. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who loves Caillou almost as much as we hate him. “Don’t be a Caillou” is a phrase in our house too. Doggone Canadians!

Oh, and any Canadian who’s taking this post too seriously and getting all in a bunch over it needs a serious sense of humor transplant and should just go back to toques and back bacon and the Mackenzie brothers. Lighten up, Francis.

I am Canadian so heck yes I’ll take that toque and Back Bacon, who turns down a warm head and good eats, oh but wait I’ll raise you my igloo, dog sled and monopoly money and also the the fact that you watch the McKenzie Brothers with a two-four AND back bacon if you get hungry lol jk jk btw your comment made me lmao

Loved that article….but let us not forget others for the list: Max and Ruby (parentless children with that bossy big sister) : Little Bear (whiny spoiled bear) ….when my oldest was a little a show called Charlie and memo (again spoiled whiny kid)……I say ban them all

I was so disappointed to discover this was satire and not a real group! Can’t stand that stupid show! I think we should start a real PAC group! & never apologize to people just because they can’t take a joke! It was funny and accurate!!

Second, several years ago, after becoming uber annoyed with Caillou after about, oh, 5.5 seconds of viewing for the first time, I changed the lyrics of the theme song to this…(go ahead, sing along with me…I know you know it):

I’m just a kid who’s 4.
Each day I grow some more.
I’m so annoying, I’m Caillou.

You are not alone. I also feel bad for Caillou’s little sibling(brother?) Who is forever in the shadow of the older child as it seems each episode revolves around the Grandmother regaling tails of how your older sibling did it first and in the eyes of your family, better.

I had to put up with Cailiou when my son was small. Now that he’s grown up and has a son of his own I have to put up with it again because it has some how survived and is still on 20 years later. As a Canadian I do feel bad about Cailiou, and especially Justin Bieber, but let’s not forget you gave the world the Kardashians and Chris Brown. Let’s call it even. And btw Celine Dion now belongs to you.

I am Canadian I think this post hilarious and all of you other Canadians who have no sense of humor I need to ask you………. WHY SO SERIOUS??? Lets put a smile on that face….. because you know and I know that what is being said about Caillou is TRUE, so stop hating on the post because ALL Caillou does in every episode is cause problems, then he whines about the mess he created so his parents will solve his problems for him and honestly, My mother never let me watch Caillou as a kid and I didn’t complain I didn’t like the show I always thought that his oddly shaped bald head was creepy and weird and that he was annoying. PS… sorry about the Arctic Blasts LOL

Canadians hate him too!
I SO agree this 100% It’s been banned for the last couple of months in our household and I’m happy to say, my kid cries normally again (lol, that sounds weird, but during our Caillou phase, my son had the most ANNOYING cry -> thanks to Caillou). The fictional kid brings nothing to the table people, nothing. Go Daniel Tiger!

Canadian parents have complained about Caillou years ago, it even made the news in 2013 where the reporter accuses Caillou of controlling his parents and being a excessively spoilt child. Caillou is originally French Canadian (I think?) , hence people not seeing the complaints before, it’s all in French. But trust me, most Canadian parents don’t like Caillou more than you do!

As a teacher- Caillou is the worse possible thing ever created- kids have no independence these days….. Seems adults have to do it for them every turn of the way. I remember when I was 4, I told my mom I wanted to take dancing lessons. She dialled the dance schools number and had me ask all the questions… I’d like to Caillou try that on his own.

No worries friend south of the Border Canadians don’t hate you for hating Caillou!

I read this blog as satire but I also see a parent who realizes that they are to guide the child and not let the child guide (or worst case, bully, whine, etc.) them. Do kids throw tantrums? Of course they do but anyone who thinks children don’t immediately copy what they see on TV needs to set a bunch of four year olds down in front of The Power Rangers (the main banned show in my house when my son was little) and step back. Our job, as parents, is to tell them what is real and what isn’t AND the real consequences our actions. Unfortunately, this is just not happening in many, many households, American or Canadian.

Should the blogger turn the channel if she doesn’t like the show? Sure and I gathered that she does. I think she should be commended for taking an active stance in her child’s life. I am not a blogger but I also gather that it allows her some stress relief, as all parents need.

Is she a horrid troll for letting her kids watch TV? Absolutely not. Will her kids turn into sociopaths because she’s not directly engaging them 24/7? No! It could be argued that if she did coddle them like that, they could become sociopaths. Or Canadians, who knows? 😉 (BIG WINKY FACE, I’m teasing..)

So, not to start a diatribe on how many other shows should be included, but I know someone out there is asking why Power Rangers? Easy, two reasons. First, the script writing was so terrible I was worried his brain would rot (again, big winky face!). Second, the show gives unrealistic consequences of violence to impressionable minds who usually aren’t mature enough to recognize over the top exaggeration. When a character is kicked, they fall all over the place or are knocked through a massive wall and because it’s for kids, there are silly reactions and no blood, no pain. They get horrendously angry over the tiniest thing or they scream and yell for ridiculous reasons.

Think that show is for older kids, who should be able to determine what is silly? In a perfect world, a message would come on the screen and say, sorry, you have a three year old and this show is for 6-8 year olds.

Anyway, I enjoyed the read.

PS. I forgive Canada for the Beibs because you guys gave us Stargate and the X-Files (for a while anyway).

I’ve been saying this for years! The kids I babysat for used to suddenly start whining when they watched Caillou. And unfortunately I could never muster up as much patience as Caillou’s parents. I’ve been told I am a very patient person with kids, almost to a fault… but I am not a robot! (Are Caillou’s parents robots??? THAT might make an interesting twist in the show! Scientists created an experiment to see if robots could successfully raise a human child?)

your article made me howl, did not make it through a full show. It was banned, my daughter posted your article on my wall, cause I refused the let her watch it. Trust me I’m from the land of ice and snow. The whining would be replaced with the sound of a snow shovel. As for the Brat that sings we truly hope you keep him too 😉

im canadian and I agree, try living up here and turning on kid channel without this little douche now coming on. Our government censors way more crappy shows then in the USA and I’m baffled how this one made the cut.

I am so glad I am not the only one who can’t stand Caillou’s whiny baby voice! My daughter showed some some interest in the show but I never let her start watching it.

The only point I will disagree with you on is Doc McStuffins, who is also highly annoying. What little kid is named Doc and acts like a perfect mini adult who always knows what to do and is never scared of anything? She gets on my nerves in the opposite way.

I agree Daniel Tiger was awesome while my daughter loved him. I still remember the songs and they helped us in many situations.

Ma’am,
Thanks for the heads-up regarding this character. We have some of the books, and our son seems to like them, but not preferentially to anything else, so perhaps we are safe. Here in Canada, we are inundated by all kinds of kids’ programs from other countries, so I guess somebody decided to return the favour. Just cause its homegrown, doesn’t make it right…
Blessings on you & yours. Thanks again.
Michael, Jennifer & Bailey Young
Wilberforce, Ontario
CANADA

Dont worry the vast majority of canadians hate the little clown shoe personally i blame Quebec they should have never let him leave the province. He has no place in my house. And beiber you Yankees broke him you can have him lol

I completely agree with you & I’m Canadian. Caillou is a whiny brat. I hated that show & my little guy loved it. It took me months trying to de-program him from Caillou’s negative influence. He then caught on to Diego which was more better.

Yes he is whinny and has problems, but that’s the point of the show…
He’s young and needs his parents help when he messes up. And by the end of the shows his parents help him realize his issues and he fixes everything
I use to watch it when I was young and I do let my son watch it.
Callou is young and needs his parents help, and they help him. The end.

Btw he’s younger the doc my stuffing and spongebob….
That’s like telling your two year old, ” well you made this problem now you find a solution to it right now. Your parents won’t help you, good luck”

Hey there – I’m Canadian and I CANNOT STAND this show. We banned it early on as well. As a Canadian, I can tell you that I am not insulted by your post at all. I’d like to apologize for the Caillou and Beiber problems, but then I’d expect an apology for Dora the Yeller 😉

You know one thing that I notice in a lot of kids’ shows? Their lack of manners. Characters who interact with the kids who watch the show (a la Dora) bark orders at the kids and never say “please”. Drives me insane, but maybe that’s the Canadian coming out in me. 🙂

Hello. I am also Canadian, and I have also banned that whinny brat Caillou long before I had my two boys. But then TV really doesn’t matter much in our home as we don’t have cable.
We use internet only and stream what we want to watch. My boys ages 5-2 love Wild Kratts.
This winter we have been stuck in the house with a record braking snowfall. So more screen time than tree time I’m afraid. I can see the affect it has had on my boys.
Thankfully we are not starved of entertainment with two dogs, a cat and a parrot in the house too.
Fish’n and four wheel’n season is just around the corner so my boys will be learning more from the planet the the TV.
As for poor Beiber, we did send him to America as a big eyed, sweet 12 year old. You guys broke him. Sorry, but you can’t whine over a toy you broke. Canada is not a helicopter parent we’re not going to save you.

Ugh, my toddler can totally binge watch Caillou too. I’m open about telling him I don’t like it, but haven’t full on banned it, because yet let’s be honest – somehow it keeps him completely enthralled, and it’s on Netflix so it auto-plays the next episode, meaning I can catch a break if I go try and do something towards the end of an episode. But I’m starting to become convinced that it has a negative impact. The other night my son picked Caillou to watch, and my husband asked him what his favorite show was. He replied “Daniel” – so my husband continued on, saying “Then why are we watching Caillou?” – my 3 year olds reply? “Because Mommy doesn’t like it.” Little punk! 🙂

Calliou is banned in my house as well. My daughter starting whining and falling in the floor for no reason at all. I couldn’t figure out why until we Sat and watched Calliou for a few episodes. My family even knows not to let her watch it either. My aunt said she didn’t see a problem at first but then she did later. This little boy is an as whole (this was auto corrected but you get my drift). He whines and is helpless, bald, and bad. He is spoiled and he runs the show in his home. This show sucks and I UNDERSTAND that sometimes he comes to his senses (or manipulates) but the message on “how not to act” isn’t clear too 3 yo’s looking for a favorite character. Right on mommy. I agree. Everyone else trying to imply she shouldn’t let kids watch tv, etc. Need to chill. We paint and do crafts in my home……but sometimes kids want to “consume mom’s soul” so you got to find something to occupy them….

It’s not so much the whininess that gets me… it’s that they are clearly using an adult actor to voice a child character. There are enough child actors who can do voice-overs; not sure why they cannot find one (or several, since the show has gone on for so long). It’s not even acted well, in my opinion.

I think that’s why the baldness also bothers so many people – it’s a dissonance that jars us, and we can’t make it fit into our willing suspension of disbelief.

Oh and on the subject of unendurable kids’ programs, my kids are older now…have you seen Regular Show???

After I got past the arrogance of the GrAmMaR PoLiCe (capitals intended), I was ready to say, “Hear, hear.” (Proper use of grammar is intended for ourselves, not to harass others.)
The article is spot-on. What you see, consistently, you will desire or become… case, en pointe… Caillou is the poster child for this truth.

From two Canadian chicks whose daughter’s are almost 16 now.We had several running jokes at our houses about Cauilloo-in fact our hatred of the show probably cemented our friendship! Could not stand to let our girls watch it-He was a much bigger “thing” back then, and many parent’s seemed to think it was a good, supportive, thing to emulate their parenting style. Can Not Believe it is still on the air! MAWMEEEEEEEE-I can still hear that awful whine in my head!(I bet they were french canadian-hee-hee) Who else would name their kid caullliullloiu- silent L’s? We would like to run for v-p and treasurer of the PAC please!

well this canadian in particular has always hated Calliou! I have written to tree house and asked why he continues to be on the air, simply because I do not know one single parent that allows him in their home. At least not for more then 2 episodes? But seeing as most…well no all canadian shows, don’t get to get to Calliou viewing status unless there is a large American following? I’d have to say that some of your country men are also to blame for the Calliou problem?! Just sayin. Canadians hate Calliou too:)

As a child growing up in canada, I too have grown up watching Cailliou. As much as I agree with the whiny voice he has, I turned out fine. I’m Canadian and my parents let me watch this show when they woke me up to go to the babysitters house so that they could go to work. Now I know people are going to write comments that disagree with my opinion (because you know, I have to opinion that is not favoured) but in reality everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I get where people are coming from with the whole “oh he only creates problems” but honestly the debate over this is not really necessary. I’m 20 years old now, and I had watched this show from when I was either 2 or 3 till about the age of 6 when Cailliou was not “cool” to watch. I personally believe the whole idea of parents teaching the child what is wrong and right and that no matter what show a child watches, they are obviously going to imitate the person. I’ll admit when I first started watching Hannah Montana, I tried to be exactly like her. It’s in our nature to imitate what we see. I personally learned lessons from Cailliou and I turned out fine. I’m not some spoiled brat like one would assume. If anything I prefer to not be spoiled. I don’t get my way for everything. Cailliou taught me that everyone makes mistakes and that those that actually care about you will stick with you no matter what.

Oh my goodness this is exactly how I felt. My seven year old loves Caillou and I have expressly forbid him in our house. We also don’t allow the kids to watch Sponge Bob, but I am with you I would rather they watch Sponge Bob to Caillou. My husband says that you should write a post about Norman from Fireman Sam

Great blog! I, too, cannot stand Caillou. Your point about his whining was spot on. Another kids show that I cannot stand is “Fireman Sam”. It’s an English show about a fireman, and there is this 1 kid on there- Peter- who is always causing ttouble, the kind of trouble that necessitates the intervention of the fire department. Yet he never gets in trouble, and no one ever scolds him or anything. Can’t stand it.

May I please be an NPAC? (Non-Parent Against Caillou)? Do I need to form my own action group, or may I join this one? Oh, and as a Canadian, I loved your jabs about him being a secret weapon from Canada. Hahaha! Well played. 🙂

Completely in agreement with turning off Caillou or any TV program….as long as the offended parent/sitter uses that time to get off social media and get down and talk to and play with their child. Other than that Caillou is better for the kids than zero eye contact, zero conversation and zero interaction.

I am Canadian, and I banned Caillou last week. I told my son it was for babies. It teaches (little boys especially) children that it’s totally normal to have level 9 meltdowns anytime that they don’t get their way. My son also started referring to himself in the third person. Just like Caillou’s little sister does. That was it… That show teaches children nothing other than how to be an incompetent brat. There will never be another episode of Caillou played in our home.

You are hilarious first off and second, you have just shed so much light on why my child who is normally super amazing is acting like a tyrant in the past few days! My husband just sent me this article and I noticed that he found Caillou while he was watching a different show on the computer, I always hated that show so I asked him to turn it off, and shortly after he’s been a big whiny baby and throwing absolutely ridiculous fits, which are almost identical to the little turd in the show. Thank you and keep writing, haters gonna hate right? Hahaha

ive never looked at this way in that way until this article. I honestly thought it was a joke until i began reading. However, after reading this, I have noticed a few issues that I can agree, are not great examples of learning how to grow up being self sufficient. But I will say that I have no issues with my 2 year old watching an episode or 2 during his slotted times. I don’t see how that can cause a dramatic influence unless you let the binge watching occur..

Another example of TERRIBLE children’s programming? Check out Fireman Sam. Norman is the worst kid in the world and is constantly setting things on fire and gluing himself to things and injuring people and everyone in town is an incompetent fool except Fireman Sam, the hero of the town, a complete douche.

It may be a male’s radar for bad TV, but I couldn’t stand Caillou since my eight and a half year old stepson was three. My wife recently started to record it for our two and four year old. I delete Caillou on sight. I have noticed in the month that my daughter, four years old, has found Caillou on Netflix, she has begun to act more and more like him.

“Stop using your Caillou voice,” is a nice touch I do plan on implementing very, very soon.

My advice to you with your writing, though, is to proof read a little better. Good points can quickly get lost simply because typos and misspellings, the difference between, “to,” and, “too,” being overlooked, sadly, will make an author look less intelligent. Have a spouse look it over if you miss a lot. Save your writing as a draft or E-Mail it to your husband to get a second set of eyes on it. Things often slip by me and for my wife, whom I tutored for a year, points errors out to me. Do not let pride in yourself take away the pride you can have in your work 🙂

Thanks for your comment, but you are making a lot of assumptions just like those who assume that all we do is watch Caillou and never engage with our children. We let them out of their crates for their daily walks, obviously. 😉

With over 1 million views & counting, this post has certainly been proofed a time or two and does not contain any to/too errors. I invite you to participate in the grammar police convo above. It’s (apostrophe use as a conjugation for “it is” and not the incorrect possessive “its”) hysterical. In the popular vernacular speech-style of this post, there are technical grammatical errors, but those who point them out have completely missed the point (and have been chilling with Caillou a great deal too much).

i have a Down Syndrome daughter and she has watched Caillou several times much to my disappointment. Thankfully now it isn’t on so much. She would see the things that the little snot would do but she isn’t able to hold attention long enough to see how his problems were solved. She didn’t repeat the things he did as much as the things he said. (Ex.) “No” or “I don’t want to” and she’d say these things in school which didn’t go over too well nor did it at home. Now if it happens to be on I’m right there to express how naughty Cailou is and that he should be punished for it. She doesn’t like that idea but she understands my tone of voice. Thankfully she doesn’t repeat him anymore.

I love that you wrote this post!!! I’m Canadian and I’ve banned Caillou TV watching in my home. I will allow the doll and books but if I hear any of his whiny ass cry baby bullshit I’ll stab him with a fork!!! I just signed a petition to ban Caillou from all TV networks. Thank you for letting me vent here, you rock.

I am cracking up at this. I CAN NOT STAND Caillou. I can’t believe it’s STILL on tv. My kids watched it at their grandparents’ house once, and immediately picked up on and tried to use that whiney nonsense. They (kiddoes and grandparents) have since learned, absolutely NO Caillou, ever. They have some bossy little “friends” that they’re allowed to watch on very rare occasions, only because those shows do have little lessons that they teach, even if they don’t say please or thank you very often. 😉

I truly think THEA is a nice lady… I hope I can see the things in her way a little more.

However, I hate Caillou (and Max and Ruby, too) I think that most kids won’t know what kind of messages the author really wanted kids to get… So in the end, after the show, all they do is just copying him crying and whining.
That is why many parents get frustrated.

Maybe Caillou is a naturally struggling kid who is in our real life too and his parents are leading him to solve the problems well without telling him off or spanking him but again, Most kids don’t care that part!

the baldness comes from the books. Before they had created a cartoon show, in the books he was more of a baby (infant/toddler). I know this because I work in childcare and we have some of the books. That being said, when they started to make the cartoon they decided to keep the baldness even though he is now a pre-schooler so that he would be more recognized when young children see him.